Pembrokeshire
The Scrapbook was written by Miss Eliza Morgan of North Nash Farm, Llangwm, and presented to the Llangwm Women's Institute in 1953. The original manuscript is held in Pembrokeshire Archives.
This is a short history of Langum now spelt Llangwm, for the Women’s Institute, 1953.
About the years 600 AD to 900 AD great numbers of Scandinavians or Vikings, came to the shores of Eastern, Southern and Western Britain. Their purpose chiefly was Plunder. A favourite raiding place was Milford Haven. There is ample evidence left to show, that they not only raided the coast, but some settled around this village.
James Phillips in his ‘History of Pembrokeshire’, wrote the following of Langum. This village name, must not be confused with a Welsh name. It is purely Scandinavian. It has been changed in recent years to ‘Llangwm’. Presumably those responsible were anxious to convert it into a Welsh name, but no one around this area knows it by any other name other than its original. See the name (cut in stone) on the wall of the village school, built eighty three years ago. I have been told by a professional gentleman (now dead), who used to visit Scandinavia, that Langum means Lang = long and Um = street, and it certainly looked like that, when I first saw it sixty five years ago. It has been transformed since then into a very fine village, or perhaps I should say ‘townlet’.
Many Norse names still linger - I give a few ‘disels’, (thistles) – and ‘guip’ (which is a narrow space between the edge of the road and the hedge). In Haverfordwest there is a place called ‘The Duang’. Duang means a narrow road way, between two rows of houses and this leads off Hill Street to Dew Street in Haverfordwest, and is a good example.The word ‘pill’ seems to be another example. It is found around Milford Haven example Langum Pill, Edwards Pill and Guildford Pill. All these places are in Langum Parish. This word is found further afield e.g. Black Pill’ between Swansea and Singleton Abbey. I have been told that it means ‘creek’, but I have no written authority for this. The word ‘Knap’ also seems Scandinavian. This name occurs in Barry, Glamorganshire ‘Cold Knap’. This is a grassy stretch of land bounding the shore, but above it. Knap Farm, Langum has such a stretch bounding the beach, but above it. Again the name Skyrme is Norse. The Viking carrying that name landed in Llawhaden. He and his descendants lived there, until the eighteenth century. Tablets to the memory of William Skyrme and his brothers are to be seen in St Mary’s Church, Haverfordwest. A branch of that family came to Langum and farmed a place called ‘Wellhead’. The people that still live there, are descendants, of the Skyrme family and although now carry the surname ‘Morgan’, he is a Skyrme on his mother’s side, and his children carry the name Skyrme in their Christian names. The farm is now a small holding.
I will now jump on to the early 12th century, Henry 1st (1100) to Richard 1189. During this period, the Flemings came across from Holland in great numbers – chiefly to Pembrokeshire and settled here. Various reasons are given – one, an invitation from Henry 1st to come across to this country to teach his people weaving. Most of those that came settled around Haverfordwest, Langum and South Cardiganshire. It is significant that weaving is carried on today in parts of Pembrokeshire and South Cardiganshire, but there is no weaving in Langum where so many Flemings settled. However that may be – leading the Flemings who settled around this corner of Pembrokeshire, ( and probably the whole of Pembrokeshire) was a man called Goddibert. He evidently belonged to a very fine Flemish family. (A good fearing gentleman and Christian) as time went on the name Goddibert was changed to De-La-Roche. The reason for this is obscure. Probably it was political. It certainly was more Norman/French sounding. To this ‘De-La-Roche’ family we owe our beautiful church. The main branch of this family settled at 'Pulla’ or Pill (Milford) and worshipped at the Priory there, and those who died during their stay in Pill, were buried in ‘The Priory’, there. A member of the family married and came to live at Great Nash, Langum. The house, he and his family lived in, was built by ‘Nash’ who came to live at Great Nash in the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st which was just after the ‘De-La-Roche’ family left hurriedly for the Continent.
This church was built by ‘The De-La-Roche’ family. Principally by the member of that family, that lived at ‘Great Nash’, in the reign of Henry 1st. It was dedicated to St Jerome. Branches of this great family lived at Roch, and Benton Castles, and worshipped at Langum Church. The church was in the form of a cross, with ‘The North Aisle’, (sometimes called ‘lady chapel’ on the left and the vestry on the right. The church porch was added on, during the ministry, of the late Rev Williams, about sixty or seventy years ago.
The North Aisle is or was a perfect little chapel in itself, built by the same family, to be kept and recognised as their private chapel. The once beautiful reredos is still in very fair state of preservation. It was damaged by Cromwell’s soldiers, who gave this church, a visit during his ‘Dictatorship'. The effigies on the table of the reredos are of a member of the Great Nash Family, and his wife. They were originally fixed into the wall on the left hand side, of the little private chapel, but were moved during the restoration of the church, in the late Rev Williams’ time. The man is showed with crossed legs, indicating that he had been to ‘The Crusades’. He is shown in armour.
In the wall – to the right as one enters – of the North Aisle is a ‘Stone Bowl’, with some sculptured stone above. This is the Piscina. Up to the ministry of the late Rev H Evans, this bowl was missing. However the late Mr Henry Owen visited the church during Rev Evans ministry. H Owen, wondered why the bowl was missing, and where it could be? After some time he noticed that the type of masonry forming one of the arches between the Main Chapel and the North Aisle was of a different type, from the masonry in and around the other arches. He went outside, and noticed that a window, which had ‘been built in’, was about opposite the spot he had been discussing. He asked permission of the ‘Church Authorities’, to remove the ‘built in’, of the wall and there was the ‘bowl’, hidden in what turned out to be ‘The Hagioscope’ undoubtedly hidden then when it was feared what Cromwell’s soldiers might do to the church, if they had found it in the proper place. ‘The Hagioscope’, was buried and looked as if it had been recently done. It still wears the same coat today. The purpose of the Piscina, was I understand, for the priest to cleanse his fingers in ‘The Holy Water’, before administering ‘Holy Communion’, to those worshipping in ‘The North Aisle Chapel’. Another view of the ‘opening up’ of the closed in window as a more advanced stage, which revealed the Hagioscope or Squint with the Piscina inside.
The ‘Hagioscope’ was for the purpose of members of the ‘De-La-Roche’, family (who worshipped in this little private chapel) to see ‘The Elevation of The Host’ before Communion was administered. The Piscina, Hagioscope, together with the dedication of the church to St Jerome, are sufficient to convince me, that the church at that time was Roman Catholic, and that probably was why Cromwell had it listed for a visit, by his soldiers. It would be difficult for an adult to see the communion table, from the floor of the North Aisle, for at the restoration the floor was raised. In the vestry is the original Communion table. The top is a heavy stone slab. This is supported by very heavy wooden legs. The table, in use today – is beautiful and a fairly wooden one.
Up to the time of the restoration late Rev Williams time, there was a Rood Loft stretching across from one wall plate, to another. Two of the original stepping stones are still seen above the pulpit. There used to be two in the vestry as well. The ‘Stepping Stones’, led to the Rood Loft. On this loft straw and reeds used to be stored. Each weekend, some were taken down and spread on the floor of the pews. Possibly the floors were earthen and damp.
The bowl of the font was also destroyed by Cromwell’s men, but the base was left untouched. This was wonderfully well built of a bluish stone. A year ago, for some reason, I do not understand, the authorities had the base coloured cream. I supposed it was done, to tone with the rest, which was ‘Bath Stone’, put there in Rev Williams' ministry.
The Church Bell
Inscription on the Church Bell
SANCMA: MRINMAS
VNUS. DEVS
MISERERE
NOBIS +
My father told me that the church bell was put up in the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st (but I have not seen a written statement to this affect). My father would now be 114 years old. There is an inscription on the bell which I have detailed above.
The Lepers Window
In the Chancel Wall, facing Guildford, there is a small gracefully shaped window – now built in. It is believed locally, that Lepers who congregated in the Church yard (but were not allowed inside), could listen to the Communion service, and receive the Holy Sacrament through this window. The late Father Daniel gave a slightly different version. He wrote in a local paper, A man probably the caretaker, or an official of the church – stood outside the window during Holy Communion Service. The window was kept open. A rope was attached to the bell, which was hung inside and passed outside, through the window. When Communion service started, the attendant rang the bell, to let those in the churchyard know that the service had started and that absolute silence was demanded. He also wrote that, the sick, poor and aged, who were in the habit, in those far off days, of gathering in the churchyard, to hear the services and it had nothing to do with administering Communion to them.
The Chalice
The Chalice is Elizabethan, - it has been suggested, that this is one of many, given by Elizabeth 1st to various churches of her realm at her coronation. It has twice been repaired, the last time during the ministry of the Rev H Evans. It was treasured so much, that it was taken by an official of the church accompanied by a friend, to London. They waited until the work was completed, and brought it back safely.
Langum is (and even has been) a Christian Village. I do not know of any family, in those modern days that does not support one place of worship here. The Old Parish Church is situated about the middle of the village – with the village green on one side and Ashdale Valley on the other.
A very fine Wesleyean Chapel also stands on the green, but on the opposite side. A road divides the green in two. This is a fairly recent building – the inside, as well as the outside, are a joy to look at. It is kept beautifully. A few years ago a magnificent piped organ was installed which cost £1,000. The old chapel where our forefathers worshipped, still stands at the pine end of the new one. It is not allowed to fall into ruin. It is used for meetings, singing practices, Sunday school etc and this also has a small organ.
The Baptist Chapel is situated on the Guildford side of the village (with a narrow valley between it, and the old chapel). This was built a few years after the Wesleyean Chapel. This is also a lovely building. Inside and outside, kept in beautiful condition. This chapel also has a lovely piped organ. The old chapel stands – perhaps one hundred yards from the new one. This is used for various purposes, in connection with the chapel.
This family in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st fell out of favour at the court. A daughter of the De-La-Roche family (Roch castle) reputed to be a great beauty, married into the Devereux family – which was The Essex Family. At this time the Earl of Essex was imprisoned in the town and eventually beheaded. Owing to their connection with the Earl, they fell from favour, at the court. Their lands were impounded and they realised that they were in great danger, so every member of the family living in Pembrokeshire left the county in great haste for France. There was no time to take their treasures with them, and legend has it, that they buried their valuables at ‘Great Nash’. This place, was practically all of Langum Parish. A plant which was not indigenous to this area was planted here, so that if any of the family came back, they would have no difficulty in finding their treasure. I have not heard if it has ever been found.
There is supposed to be an underground passage, leading from the Old Priest House, Great Nash to a house just outside the churchyard called by my late father ‘The Meeting House’, and by others ‘The Little Castle’. This is where members of this great family met each Sunday before and after Church service, from Roch Castle, Benton castle and Great Nash.
The entrance to the underground passage, to the ‘Meeting House’, was closed by the late Mr George, who farmed the land for many years – because he feared that his children, might get into it.
In the not so distant past, there was a water mill in Langum. All surrounding farmers, used to take their corn there to be ground. The mill, as far back as I can remember, about seventy years was in charge of a family called ‘Towle’. The water to turn this mill was supplied by a turbulent stream or brook, which never went dry.It runs down from Great Nash through to the river bed, past the right side of the village, to The Mill and on to Langum Pill.
A part of Langum which stretches along the shore is called Black Tar. Why this name, I cannot say, for there is certainly nothing black around – unless it could be applied to the many tarred boats which in the fishing days were anchored all along this beach. This part of the village was a very important spot, in the olden days. After knocking about our church, Cromwell had designs on Picton Castle. His soldiers marched down Knap Lane to Lower Black Tar. A few yards from this part of the shore – a large rock stands out. This rock is called ‘The Victualling Rock’ and can be reached at low tide on foot, along the shore, and can be reached by boat at any state of the tide. Cromwell’s boats were ready on the off side of this rock, to take his soldiers up the river to Picton. It is called ‘The Victualling Rock’, because it was off this rock, that food was taken aboard the boats, to feed his men at Picton. Anyway he did not succeed in taking Picton castle.
At the shore end of Knap Lane there still remains, partly ruined ‘The Old Black Tar Farm House’. The garden of this house bounds the beach. Underneath this house was a long cave called ‘The Smugglers Cave’. Years ago I was shown into it. Probably the entrance is now blocked. It was an ideal ‘hideout’ for smugglers for contraband – they could quickly and easily be got off the rock, and into the cave, without touching the main Knap Road.
A little higher up the Haven (on the same side), as the ‘Victualling Rock’, there was a sort of hideout in Knap Wood. It could be approached only by boat, but was above sea level. When The Crimean War was on, gangs were sent out to various parts of the country, to force eligible young men, to join the army – such a gang, came to Pembrokeshire, but when the fact became known, so of the Langum young men hid in Knap Wood Cave. Years ago, this had been worked by local men, to get culmn and small coal to use for their fires. To keep their men clean and fed the wives and relatives would visit them by boat during the night, but were always back in their homes before dawn. This did not prevent many able bodied young men from going to the war. I am told that thirteen went, I knew two who returned – one was my uncle James Skyrme, and his son was of the first to give his life in the 1914-1918 war.
Up to the closing of HM Dockyard and at the end of the 1914-1918 war, a river steamer used to come up the river, every Friday morning to take on board, by ships boat, all those that had produce to sell in Pembroke Dock market, or to business people with whom they had contracts. Many took advantage of this trip, to get their weeks shopping done. The places the boat called at were Landshipping, Langum, Langum Ferry and Lawrenny. The steamer landed than at Pembroke Dock jetty and took them aboard again here, and put them ashore at their various stopping places.
Along a part of Black Tar shore which is not covered by Water (only at High Tide) and bounding the hedge above, used to be seen many silted in Kelper’s Kilns.
When I lived at Black Tar, I often walked around this shore, to look at, and count these Kilns. I went there a few weeks ago, but failed to find them and came to the conclusion that the formations must have been destroyed by the heavy tractors that use this part of the shore to get to a farmers field.
People that knew of their existence tell us, that our fathers practised the art of glass making from kelp or seaweed.
About the year 1851, cholera swept through Langum. My mother, who lived in Black Tar, through that period – told me that sixty-two people in the village died of it. Black Tar escaped.
The water undoubtedly was responsible. Langum village people – I am told, had to rely on brook water, which ran down the village (lower part), through a gulley, and on to Guildford Pill. Black Tar people, had their water from two wells that were hewn out of solid rock, and were filled by five springs, and kept the wells overflowing.
In this epidemic the lady and her daughter, who lived at ‘The Meeting House’, which originally belonged to the De-La-Roche family died of cholera. The house was never occupied again, and fell to ruin. Eventually the late Mrs Thomas of Langum Farm, built the house that stands there now called ‘Trindall House’.
In August of the year 1892 – 1893 (I believe this date is correct) there was a severe earthquake shock, felt in Llangwm and the people were very shaken. The day before the shock was felt, my father was bothered about the abnormal ebb and flow of the tide. He was a retired coastguard and lived in Black Tar with the tide often lapping his court wall.
I heard him talk to my mother about it, and he certainly was very disturbed. However he took his boat and nets and went fishing with the other men as usual. After hearing what he had said I was unable to sleep. About 2am there was a loud, long, rumbling under the house, and as the sound receded, the house seemed to lift and settle. Crockery rattled and the birds outside were disturbed, and the cows in a field nearby began lowing. I knew it must be an earthquake.
My father was soon home – the fishermen had gone through a very disturbing night. Each living thing had been wakened, and making noises, which seem weird at such an hour. A tidal wave was predicted in the papers, but nothing happened. The centre of the quake was given as ‘Mid Atlantic’.
In the olden days about 100 years ago, there used to be a small school for girls, held in a two-roomed cottage, at the end of the left hand side of Llangum Green and above the ‘Holloway’. The lady who ran the school was called Mrs Wilkins – my mother (whose age now would be 113 years), attended this school, and many tales of how this lady ran the school, I have heard from my mother.
The village boys and a few girls, attended Houghton School, Burton. As far back as my father’s youth, a Mr Ellis was master there. Later he left Houghton and set up a private school in Haverfordwest, but he left behind ‘a great name as a teacher’.
Another school which certainly dates back much further that the two already mentioned, was in a field belonging now to Mr Scale of Great Nash. This I should think took in boys and girls who lived in scattered areas of the parish and probably a few from Sardis, Burton. This school must have been approached by footpaths. One across Langum Farm, and one across Great Nash. These footpaths are used, occasionally today. The foundation is all that remains today of the old school, but this can be plainly seem.
The present school built 83 years ago. The late squire Allen of Cresselly, was a great supporter of the ‘project’. At one time, it was the largest rural school in the county – with 200 to 230 names on its books. About the end of the 1914-1918 war, a new school was opened in Hook in Langum Parish and 98 children transferred there. Then again when HM Dockyard was closed, many men and their families – were transferred to other yards – so the school numbers decreased considerably.
The school has one large infants room, three other rooms for older children. The school is supplied with mains water and electric light. There are two large cloakrooms and two fine playgrounds. The first headmaster was a Mr Sinlett and he stayed until his retirement. The second Mr Carr, he also retired at sixty. Mr Harries is the present master.
Many children from this school have done exceedingly well, at the Haverfordwest Grammar School. They evidentially had a good foundation. It would be risky for me to name the ones I have in mind, but I dare to bring one girls name forward – Auriel Bryant. She a few years ago topped Wales in CWB, with eight distinctions. She took her ‘higher’ and was awarded a major scholarship. She is at present a medical student in Cardiff.
The main occupation of Langum was fishing. The fisherman were men of substance, who owned their boats, and all the necessary tackle. According to the season they, they fished for salmon, herrings, mullet, bass, sewing, and also dredged for oysters. They was expert boatmen, certainly a class to themselves. As a body the men were healthy, and full of knowledge of the tides, winds etc. really a fine lot of men worth knowing – perhaps its was because of the years they had spent on the water.
There are several farms in Langum – the main ones being Hook (in Langum Parish), Tally Ho, Great Nash, Little Nash, North Nash, Langum Farm, Knap Farm, Knap Cottage Farm, Spinkle and the Barn Farm.
All the farms are well watered. A brook runs from Tally Ho – starting at Troopers Inn, and past Great Nash, Langum Farm and into Langum Pill. The brook gathers volume along its course and never dries. Another starts at the top of Knap Cottage Farm and runs down through a deep gulley past the Pill Parks into Edwards Pill. Another runs through part of Knap Farm and eventually joins another stream, and neither dries up.
All the farmers in the area go in for mixed farming. Early potatoes is a bit of a speciality. The rest can be numbered as follows – milk, beef, pigs, poultry and arable.
Taking the beach as a starting place, it is a gentle but steady climb, until the end of the parish is reached, which is Tally Ho. There is no hilly land, and yet there is that gentle climb. About the end of 1914 –18 war, the late Mr Lort Phillips sold all his land this side of the water – so now there are no tenant farmers around here, although some of the farmers have changed hands since.
The farm buildings around here are generally, built of limestone, undoubtedly quarried just across the water, at Langum Ferry, and brought by ship to this side, and afterwards driven by the farmers to wherever needed, to be used. The farm dwelling houses, have all been greatly improved. Most of them if not all, have electric indoor and outdoor sanitation, hot and cold water indoors etc. Electric has greatly eased the work of all concerned. The farmers here send their milk to the Milk Factory, so there is no butter-making, and the eggs if not sold locally, are sent to the egg depot in Haverfordwest.
A horse is rarely seen on the farms today, gone is the day, when we used to see the farm men, riding their horses to the field in the morning, and whistling as they went. We do miss them in the country. I think that I can say, that there are no woods on the farms, I have mentioned. In the main, they were cut down, before the farms were sold, but one sees an occasional coppice here and there, and some very fine individual trees about – some growing in the middle of fields, where they give a lot of shelter to cattle.
James Davies
James Davies joined the Metropolitan Police in 1897. The following summer 1898, he won The Long Distance Championship of the Police of the United Kingdom, over the Putney to Mortlake Course 4 ½ miles and held the Championship for twelve years, without being beaten until the race was discontinued. He also rowed in the four oared championship of Europe and was only beaten by inches, and he also won the ¼ mile swimming race in the Thames Regatta Open Race. His son James Goldcup Davies won the Great Britain championship breaststroke and held it for fourteen years, he also won the British Empire Championship and the Olympic Empire Games (200 yards breaststroke) held in Australia. At present he is in New Zealand – Senior Engineer to the New Zealand Government at Wellington.
Edgar Thomas
Edgar Thomas, son of Mr David Thomas and the late Mrs Thomas of Coronation Avenue, Llangwm. He was educated at the village school, and the County School, Pembroke Dock, he served for some time on the staff of the West Wales Guardian. Later he worked as a writer in H M Dockyard, Pembroke Dock.
In 1915 he volunteered for the army and served in France with the Royal Army service Corps. In 1919 he was granted a commission and transferred to the Royal Garrison Artillery. After being badly wounded he was discharged from the army, shortly before Armistice. Following a lengthy convalescence he entered ‘The School of Economics’, London. Completing his studies he went to the Argentine Bank, where he worked at the South American Bank. In 1928, he entered the firm of Messrs Crawford Keen and company grain exporters. In 1934 he was elected Director of the Firm and served in that capacity until his death in 1944.
William Jones
This man left Langum when he was about nineteen. He joined a merchant vessel as a deck hand. It got wrecked and he landed near Durban. From there for a time he worked on farms. He was always on the move north wards and for a while he was a ships stoker. At last he came to a farm, where the people were very hospitable. He worked for them and after a few years he brought some land for himself and stocked it. Later he went in for Ostrich farming and blood stock breeding. He prospered and eventually had 5,000 acres under cultivation. The name of this place was Osgodsby in The Transvaal.
During the Zulu war he ran the blockade. He ran flour for our troops (from his farm) with several spans of oxen, with each span consisting of sixteen oxen. He went through considerable danger. Many times his spans were attacked by lions, which sometimes pulled out one or two oxen, some of his land went to the edge of the jungle, and to protect food (flour) from the wild beasts, they were forced to construct a cabin above the wagons sufficiently high above the ground, for a leopard or lion to be unable to reach it. The men in charge were afraid to fire into a number of lions, but would shoot a straggler.
John Jones
Nephew of William Jones, he joined his uncle in Africa and worked with him for some years. When the Boer War broke out, he served with the Natal Carabineers and was locked in during the siege of Ladysmith. He volunteered in the 1914-1918 war and was in the Battle of the Marne, and got wounded and came home to Langum, but returned to Africa and still lives there.
Maria Shrubsall
Mrs Shrubsall was a very fascinating, lady, always well dressed – unusually in a full, fine, silk skirt and boned bodice.
She was a fluent conversationalist and masterful, when necessity arose. She was supposed to be an ‘occult’. She kept an inn or public house at the top of Langum village. It was a fine place for an inn, for all roads led to it. Langum, Hook Road, and a footpath ran from Port Lion to the house. This was the house, where the fishermen of old, used to gather on Saturday evenings to discuss their luck (or lack of it) and everything concerning their work, while at the same time, they enjoyed a glass of bear, but there was no drunkenness here. It was run by a lady of ‘high repute’.
The late Duke of Edinburgh (sailor son) of Queen Victoria and Admiral of the Fleet, visited Milford Haven with his fleet. (I am sorry that I cannot give the exact date).
Mrs Shrubsall heard of the visit and made haste to write to the Admiral. She wrote how uplifted she felt when she heard of the visit of The Great Queens son, to Milford Haven. She had a beautiful black cat and would be greatly honoured if he would accept it from her. She was certain that it would bring ‘Great Luck’ to himself and the fleet he commanded. The letter was answered, saying that he would be pleased to have her on board and to accept her gift of the Black Cat. He gave the day and time, when a pinnace, would be on Black Tar shore, with men to take her down to his ship. She was received by the Duke himself, and before leaving partook of tea with the Admiral and his daughter Princess Marie, or was she them the Queen of Romania – she visited Mrs Shrubsall, in Langum and partook of tea with her, at the Inn, and the old lady told their fortunes by the tea cup.
After the old lady’s death, the inn was closed, and there has never been a licensed house in Langum since. The house is still there, but it has been improved and modernised in every way.
Grace Anstee Griffiths
Another very different type of lady, I want to remember in this little history. She lived with her father – Mr Anstee postmaster of Langum, for many, many years – up to the time of her marriage, to Mr Griffiths of Arnolds Hill, near Haverfordwest, he was a farmer. Very soon after the marriage they emigrated to Canada. After 27 years, they returned to the homeland (1952) for a three month holiday. Quite by accident, I found that she had developed into a poetess of some repute.
I was not surprised, for she was always a cultured lady, and a bit of the dreamer. She showed me a book of poems, which had been printed in Canada and I asked for permission to copy a few.
The People of Langum
The people of Langum, have ever been and still are very loyal to their country. We have records of men, from this village, who fought in the Zulu, Crimean, Boer and the Great Wars 1914-1918 and 1939-45.
In Langum school there is a tablet to the memory of 14 men who gave them lives in the 1914-1918 war. It was put up by the local Red Cross Working Party and unveiled by the Hon Mrs Lort Phillips. Miss Morgan ran this party, for the duration of the war, and for one year after to help the hospitals – and she was mentioned for valuable services rendered in connection with the war.
The people of the village are noted for their cleanliness and thrift. There gardens are well cultivated and their homes comfortably furnished.The people own their houses and I have heard it said, that there are no poor in Langum. I do not know about that, but if it is true, it is due to hard work and good housekeeping.
There is a fine reading room here, with an excellent billiard table, the gift of the late Mr Lort Phillips. I notice a plaque hanging on one wall, with photographs of three local men, who gave their lives in 1939-45 war.
Again the acquisition of the playing field has certainly pleased the younger generation. It is the intention of the committee to get the field quickly up to date. It is hoped that a tennis court and bowling green will be added.